


Not a Burden

by lee_andrews



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Naruto
Genre: Gai is like Pepper Potts, Hurt/Comfort, Kakashi is Iron Man, M/M, Mentions of Blood, Mentions of Death, Mentions of War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 05:21:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28630218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lee_andrews/pseuds/lee_andrews
Summary: The famous Iron Man was not made of iron, he was made of much softer stuff and thank god for that.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Maito Gai | Might Guy
Kudos: 26
Collections: KakaGai Week 2020 entries





	Not a Burden

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted as a thread on my twitter (@slyCicero) for KakaGai week 2020.

Kakashi had no idea what day it was: they all blended into an endless cycle of (1) nap, (2) get to work, (3) drink that god-awful green smoothie, (4) work until J.A.R.V.I.S. would shut down all the systems to force you to eat, (5) work again until you are no longer able to keep your eyes open, (6) drink the smoothie before going to sleep, (7) nap. Rinse, repeat. The smoothie tasted like shit, but at least it was green. Green was Gai's favourite colour and he would definitely want Kakashi to drink it, since it was keeping him alive, counteracting the toxic effects of the reactor in his body. Obviously, there was no way in hell Kakashi would admit that to Gai. 

_You are going to get yourself killed._

Kakashi remembered well the pain in Gai's eyes when he'd said it. Back then, he had told Gai he knew what he was doing, and Gai had stayed with him and supported him ever since. Now, it turned out, Kakashi _was_ going to get himself killed, just not in the way anyone had expected.  
But Kakashi hadn't lied to Gai when he'd told him he knew what he was doing. He made a choice he knew was right and he was going to stick to it.  
"Sir, you've been awake for the past twenty-seven hours, and in four hours, Mister Maito will arrive from New York. If you plan to be in any way conscious for his arrival, I suggest sleeping."  
Kakashi sighed, "Very well. Run the simulation again. Those electromagnetic effects would come in handy."  
"Preliminary calculations suggest you cannot achieve the desired effect, unless you find a way to become a god of lightning. I would suggest Thor or Susanoo. Zeus does not exactly fit with your present-day public image, sir."  
"Just run them again and wake me up in three and a half hours, I want to make some coffee to welcome Gai back," Kakashi didn't have the energy to respond to his A.I. assistant's ironic commentary, instead he rose from his desk and dragged himself to the couch in the corner.   
He fell asleep immediately.

***

"Mister Maito, Mister Hatake has fallen asleep. He asked me to wake him up in three and a half hours to make you coffee."  
"Thank you, J.A.R.V.I.S. Would you be so kind as to wake him up in five instead? I think I'd make that coffee for us both myself."  
"Of course."  
Gai leaned back in his chair and looked out of the airplane window onto the vast expanse of white fluffiness. It would do him much good to use the remaining hours of the flight to catch some sleep for himself. His schedule wasn't as hardcore as the one Kakashi was keeping these days, but it was still tiring. However, there wasn't much Gai loved more than a good challenge and basically running Hatake Industries was a great one. Gai was surprised to see that so many people thought nice and kind equaled stupid and was happy to teach them otherwise. Honestly, though, there was nothing he wouldn't learn or accomplish when he knew Kakashi depended on him. They've always pushed each other past their limits, ever since they were an unlikely duo of eccentric parentless kids.  
Gai smiled in his half-slumber, remembering the way-too-sarcastic-but-kinda-cute brat Kakashi used to be. Who knew he'd be a hero so many children looked up to these days?

***

Kakashi woke up with a start. Images of war and devastation still stood before his eyes, ruins and corpses as far as eye can see. His gaze circled around frantically until he caught a view of his hands.  
There was blood on his hands.  
Shocked, he fell down on the floor, then hastily tried to pick himself up and run to the bathroom.

Upstairs, Gai was making dinner when he felt a tug at his stomach.  
"Mister Maito---" J.A.R.V.I.S. started, but Gai already knew that Kakashi needed him.  
He rushed downstairs, where the doors opened in front of him, seemingly on their own, but of course, it was J.A.R.V.I.S. who opened them for him.  
Gai found Kakashi in the bathroom, maniacally scrubbing his hands under the water.  
"Kakashi..."  
Kakashi shuddered and turned around to face Gai, "Gai, please, go away, you... you shouldn't see it."  
"I shouldn't see what, Kakashi?" Gai's voice was soft and gentle.  
"The blood... on my hands," whispered Kakashi.  
Gai inadvertently looked down at where Kakashi was holding his hands in front of him. Of course, there was no blood. But they'd had a conversation about it once, in one of those rare moments when Kakashi didn't try to repel everything with a joke. He'd said his hands were stained with blood from all those weapons he'd made. And now, in a moment of distress he seemed to be convinced of it quite literally. Gai took Kakashi's hands in his, with a bit of effort, since he tried to hide them away behind his back.  
"Look, Kakashi, there is no blood. I'm holding your hands in mine and I can see it clearly."  
Kakashi shook his head, whatever he was seeing was still there and in the spur of the moment Gai did something that he would have dabbed stupid under any other circumstances: he kissed Kakashi's hands, the insides and the outsides of both his palms.  
"Do you believe me? There's no blood on my lips, now is there?"  
"Gai..." Kakashi wailed like a hurt dog and tears started running down his face. Gai grabbed him in a bear hug and led him back to the couch.

The famous Iron Man was not made of iron, he was made of much softer stuff and thank god for that. 

"I just... want... to help..."  
"I know. And you are. And I'm helping you."  
"I need you."  
"I know."  
"I don't even know my social security number."  
"I know."  
"I'm sorry I'm such a burden."  
Gai didn't hesitate a heartbeat, "No, you are not. We are a team. The best there is."  
Kakashi stayed silent for a while, calming down in Gai's arms. After that he said, sounding much more like his usual self, "Yes, we _are_ the best team."  
"The lasagna is ready, Mister Maito," J.A.R.V.I.S. finally deemed it appropriate to chime in.  
"Your dinner, Mister Hatake," smiled Gai.  
"Keeping things in flawless order as usual, Mister Maito?" Kakashi couldn't help, but smirk back, and squeeze Gai's hand with a lot of feeling, yet unspoken.


End file.
